Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Highlights of Meeting Notes

October 9

• Discussion of “community”
  • Whether community in objectives 1, 3, 4, and 5 are economic, geographic, social, or geopolitical
• Recapitulation of the goals of the modeling effort
  • For example, fire impacts
    • Prescribed burns, wildfire
    • Exogeneity vs endogeneity , and stressors to the system and measured impacts
    • GIS integration
  • Discussion of moving the group towards more concerted efforts to actively work collaboratively
    • Introduction of the concepts of Grand Challenge paper for the group to write
    • Initial discussion of data needs, and methods of collection and analysis

October 10

• Continued discussion of Grand Challenge paper concept
  • Bestlemeyer, Briske (2012) Grand Challenges for resilience-based management of rangelands, Rangeland Ecology and Management as an example of the type of work for the group to produce
  • A series of papers is a good way to move the effort forward, highlighting the holes in the current literature that require a collaborative effort that this group can tackle
  • Some issues raised that can be included:
    • Better understanding of rangeland-human systems interactions
    • Persistence of ranching and persistence of intact rangelands
    • Ecosystem services
    • Climate change, policy change, deforestation patterns, disease, fire
    • Why current modeling environments are not working
    • Migration corridors of wildlife and fractured management
    • Feedbacks in integrated systems, and forecasting foreseeable impacts that are ignored in non-integrated systems modeling
    • Collaborative land use management
  • A discussion of how to tailor future work towards “customers” of a modeling effort
    • Too many models are built that are not built in a way that is useful outside of academia
    • This highlights that Objective 5 needs to be early in the process, and is not to be done as a “formality” or thought of as such
    • End users of a well-formed model may be as broad as academicians, NGOs, federal and state agencies, tribal entities, and ranchers themselves
  • The “Grand Challenge” that we can articulate is essentially that “We are not as informed as we think we are on many issues. Using existing models can lead us to fool ourselves and the public to think that we know more than we do”
    • This is largely because of ad hoc modeling efforts, lack of integrated systems modeling, and even models that are simply created prior to the availability of computational ability to run models of sufficient capability to answer these integrated questions
  • Discussion of Objective 3, and the definitions and importance of archetypes in the larger project whole
    • How data collection is best collected – surveys in person, mail, email, etc
    • How to integrate this data into a modeling framework
    • Moving from ethnographic interviewing to a more modern frame such as Bayesian Belief Networks to “mathemetize” the input of stakeholders
  • Plan was formed for the series of Grand Challenge papers
    • First paper will be a response to the call for papers for Western Economics Forum, which seeks papers related for farm and ranch succession
      • This paper will allow us quick turn around, and allow us to have our first look at what the holes in the literature are
      • This also allows us to think about the linkages between ranch succession, ranch management, and community outcomes
    • Day ended with some “nuts and bolts” questions about eventual modeling framework, software, etc
      • All agreed that the current GAMS model should be moved out of the GAMS software, python is an open source option
      • Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium model allows the integration of rural economic development questions
      • Decision making horizon can be more flexible in this framework
      • Work related to archetypes group remains a question in terms of integration      

State Reports By Objective for Year 2023-2024

Objective 1

Advance knowledge about impacts of and responses to potential external threats (e.g., climate changes) and opportunities (e.g., carbon and Environmental, Social, Governance markets) to rangelands, ranches, and rangeland dependent communities in the western U.S. (including the impacts of adopting new technologies to address these threats/opportunities)

Published and Forthcoming Peer-reviewed Research

• DJ Augustine, JP Ritten, DL Hoover, JD Derner. 2024.  Does Drought Intensify the Effects of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs on Livestock Production and Net Revenue in Semiarid Rangelands? Rangeland Ecology & Management (CO)
• JD Derner, JP Ritten, T Baldwin, T Jorns, M Mortenson, DJ Augustine. 2024. Flexible Stocking: Livestock Production and Economic Responses in Mixed-Grass Prairie Rangeland Ecology & Management (CO)
• ND DeLay, DF Mooney, J Ritten. 2024. Climate and Consolidation in the US Beef Cow Sector Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 1-20 (Nationwide)
• M Hart, J Ritten, BA Mealor. 2024. A ranching economic analysis of ventenata (Ventenata dubia) control in northeast Wyoming. Invasive Plant Science and Management 16 (1), 56-63 (WY)
• Thayer, Anastasia W., Justin R. Benavidez, and David P. Anderson. "Exploring the Impact of Fed Cattle Grade on Transaction Type." Journal of the ASFMRA2024 (2024): 141-146. (SC)
• Thayer, Anastasia W., Nikolas Berg, Matthew Fischer, Dillon Feuz. " Feeder Cattle Basis in the Western United States Over the Last Decade." (SC)
• Ramos-Coronado, L., Miller, M., Angadi, S., Lauriault, L. M., Marsalis, M. A., Evaluating the economic merit of guar as a forage replacement crop during drought-induced water restrictions. Submitted to: Agronomy. (Nationwide)
• Gonell-Trail, S., Miller, M., Ward, F. A. (2024) Economic performance of range livestock grazing for adapting to drought and climate stressed forage. Rangeland Ecology & Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2024.02.003  (NM)

Additional Output Performed

• 4 webinars related to carbon markets and ranching. (Nationwide)
• Webinar related to prairie dog and drought interactions. (Nationwide)
• Presentation to Public Lands Council September 2024. (National)
• 4 grad student committees (2 completed) related to GHG and/or animal welfare. (national)
• Assessing economic implications of thermal stress of Bos Indicus and Bos Taurus species during finishing across seasons in northern Colorado, American Society of Animal Science, Calgary, July 2024. (CO)
• Duff, G., Loest, C., Miller, M. Use of SmartFeed system to improve health and performance of newly received feedlot cattle at the Clayton Livestock Research Center. Sponsoring Organization: C-Lock, Inc. $285,000. Current Status: Not Funded (NM)

Objective 2

Define and characterize the ecosystem services that are produced on rangelands and to whom they accrue. Determine how ecosystem services and their accrual changes with alterations to the rangeland system, including land use change, policy change, climate change.

Published and Forthcoming Peer-reviewed Research

• AT Maher, NEQ Ashwell, JA Tanaka, JP Ritten, KA Maczko. 2023. Financial barriers and opportunities for conservation adoption on US rangelands: A region-wide, ranch-level economic assessment of NRCS-sponsored Greater Sage-grouse habitat …. Journal of Environmental Management 329, 116420 (Western US)
• Tanaka, JA, KA Maczko, and JL Windh. (Accepted w/ revisions) Economics of lesser prairie chicken conservation. Rangeland Ecology and Management (ID)

Additional Output Performed

• Acharya, B. (M.S. thesis, 2024) Economic Impacts of Grazing Management Practices in Riparian Areas. Advised by K. Lee, J. Windh, and A. Maas.(ID)
• Webinar to Bird Conservancy of the Rockies on Economics of Ranching. (CO, KS, WY)
• Webinar to Women in Ranching on Predator Management. (National)

Objective 3

Develop a framework of social adaptation archetypes (identity, motives, vulnerability) land-use change and the valuation of ecosystem services at regional-, community-, and ranch-scale adaptations.

• Currently working on grant proposal to AgMission (FFAR) with TNC, WWF, etc) (CO, SD, NE)
• Two active grants with NFWF related to Lesser Prairie Chicken Habitat provision on rangelands. (CO, KS)
• Miller, M. (Principle), Regmi, M., Mitchell, P., Mikkelson, S., Lillywhite, J. “New Mexico Farm Business Management and Benchmarking.” Sponsoring Organization: USDA - NIFA. $406,193. Status: Funded. (NM)

Objective 4

Develop integrated regional socio-economic models to better understand the linkages and identify the leverage points between ranch and rural communities, and the multidimensional well-being within these connected systems.

• Sage Grouse grant w/JD, Katie, et al. (CO, WY, MT, UT, NV, ID)

Objective 5

Determine pathways of communication and cooperation among land grant universities and research partners (government agencies, landowners, NGOs, etc.) in the West, with a focus on community sustainability and rangelands contexts.

• Currently serve as Director of Grazing Lands Research and Engagement Program at CSU, and currently working towards statewide needs assessment and coordination. (CO)
• Developing Amplifier group as part of CARM to help better connect with regional partners and disseminate information. (CO, KS, NE)
• USDA ARS, University of Idaho, University of Montana Western, The Common Ground Project. US Sheep Experimental Station Rangeland Collaboratory. A collective of ranchers, conservationists, and agency groups collaborating with scientists to develop collaborative, adaptive rangeland management to meet range sheep production and ecosystem service needs. (ID)

DJ Augustine, JP Ritten, DL Hoover, JD Derner. 2024.  Does Drought Intensify the Effects of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs on Livestock Production and Net Revenue in Semiarid Rangelands? Rangeland Ecology & Management

JD Derner, JP Ritten, T Baldwin, T Jorns, M Mortenson, DJ Augustine. 2024. Flexible Stocking: Livestock Production and Economic Responses in Mixed-Grass Prairie Rangeland Ecology & Management

ND DeLay, DF Mooney, J Ritten. 2024. Climate and Consolidation in the US Beef Cow Sector Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 1-20

M Hart, J Ritten, BA Mealor. 2024. A ranching economic analysis of ventenata (Ventenata dubia) control in northeast Wyoming. Invasive Plant Science and Management 16 (1), 56-63

Thayer, Anastasia W., Justin R. Benavidez, and David P. Anderson. "Exploring the Impact of Fed Cattle Grade on Transaction Type." Journal of the ASFMRA 2024 (2024): 141-146.

Thayer, Anastasia W., Nikolas Berg, Matthew Fischer, Dillon Feuz. " Feeder Cattle Basis in the Western United States Over the Last Decade." submitted.

Ramos-Coronado, L., Miller, M., Angadi, S., Lauriault, L. M., Marsalis, M. A., Evaluating the economic merit of guar as a forage replacement crop during drought-induced water restrictions. Submitted to: Agronomy.

Gonell-Trail, S., Miller, M., Ward, F. A. (2024) Economic performance of range livestock grazing for adapting to drought and climate stressed forage. Rangeland Ecology & Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2024.02.003

AT Maher, NEQ Ashwell, JA Tanaka, JP Ritten, KA Maczko. 2023. Financial barriers and opportunities for conservation adoption on US rangelands: A region-wide, ranch-level economic assessment of NRCS-sponsored Greater Sage-grouse habitat …. Journal of Environmental Management 329, 116420

Tanaka, JA, KA Maczko, and JL Windh. (Accepted w/ revisions) Economics of lesser prairie chicken conservation. Rangeland Ecology and Management

Acharya, B. (M.S. thesis, 2024) Economic Impacts of Grazing Management Practices in Riparian Areas. Advised by K. Lee, J. Windh, and A. Maas.